ASK IRA: Could McGruder, buyout market answer Heat questions?

Q: If no trade is made by the deadline and the Heat have that $5.5 million salary cap exception they received for Dion Waiter's injury can they later fill a perceived need with a buyout player utilizing that exception money and possibly then buy out one of their own players like an A.J. Hammons to make room on the roster ? If they can, then if there is no trade to be made by Thursday's deadline, I guess we get to see if Rodney McGruder's return is enough in the short run to lift this team. -- Mike, North Miami Beach.

A: Touching on your last point first, I think Rodney McGruder can't do anything but help. He is that type of player, willing to do anything and everything to contribute. But he also is not a go-to scorer for late-game situations. As to your first point, I do believe the Heat will scour the buyout list, which could be particularly interesting this year with that deadline moved up two weeks, leaving more than three weeks before the March 1 buyout deadline. (To refresh, players on current NBA rosters must be waived by March 1 to be eligible for another team's playoff roster. They don't have to be signed by their new team by then, but must be released by that date).

Q: Ira, yes we lost the last three games we should have won, but another question is how many close games have we won that we could have easily lost? By my count we could just as easily be three to five games under 500. Point is, most Heat wins/losses are coming down to final few possessions and screams out the need to trade for a player who can dominate and score when needed. We’ve seen far too many leads squandered with horrendous shooting for nearly a quarter’s worth of play. Now with all these close games, game in and game out, the Heat especially of late have look tired at the end of games. -- Brian, Fort Lauderdale.

A: Because you either are a go-to scorer, have that mentality, or you wind up in something less than attack mode, as we saw with James Johnson at the end of the game in Cleveland. Yes, sometimes the plays, themselves, can make the difference, as we saw with winning baskets by Josh Richardson and Wayne Ellington last month. But sometimes they also can be snuffed out, as was the case at the end against the 76ers. The Heat's margin, as you point out, is razor thin. That's where Dion Waiters mattered last season and where a Waiters-type stopgap could matter this season.

Q: What I was wondering is if Justise Winslow has the potential to be in a Draymond Green-type role. I feel like he is too elite of a defender to be just a "regular player." Watching him in games, I think he has the potential to be that all-around player. What do you think? -- Aron, Dallas.

A: What has to come first is delineating Justise's role going forward. With Dion Waiters out, Justise has moved into more of a ballhandling role than expected. But he also has started games this season at power forward. And in the Heat's most recent playoff game, he was the starting center. Now he appears to be slotting in at small forward. Before you can find out who a player can be, you have to decide what that player will be. If the future is as a playmaker, then tightening the dribble could have to be a priority. If the future is to be more Draymond-like, then additional bulk might be in order. At at small forward, there has to be a great scoring threat.

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Heat coach Erik Spoelstra on the All-Star break.

Heat coach Erik Spoelstra on the All-Star break.

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Heat coach Erik Spoelstra on the All-Star break.

Heat coach Erik Spoelstra on the All-Star break.

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Goran Dragic prepares for first NBA All-Star Game

Goran Dragic prepares for first NBA All-Star Game

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Heat guard Wayne Ellington on his father not being to watch him compete in the NBA 3-point contest

Heat guard Wayne Ellington on his father not being to watch him compete in the NBA 3-point contest